Languishing just above the relegation zone in Serie A, having conceded a staggering 13 goals in the league this season after their 2-1 loss at Catania, it's clear that Inter Milan desperately need new defensive reinforcements.

The England centre-back, despite being in the final year of his contract, is said to be valued at £16 million, with Arsenal and Juventus keen on his signature when the January transfer window opens.

For the struggling Inter Milan, Gary Cahill is a player who could well fix their woes.

Two things the Inter have failed to do so far this season is clear their lines in defence, and close down opposition attackers.

And two things Cahill has done very well this term in the Premier League is clear his lines and close down strikers.

The defender this campaign has made, on average, 7.9 clearances per game, and for the most part has not been to blame for his side's struggling start to the season.

He's made more clearances per match than any of his Bolton teammates, and more than any Inter Milan player.

The best Inter player for clearing his lines is Lucio, who's made 7.8 clearances per game. However, the next best for the Nerazzurri is Walter Samuel, who's been in poor form which has in part been caused by the fact he's made just 5.6 clearances per match.

Gary Cahill: The Answer For Inter Milan?

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And in a league where catenaccio is rife and teams attack quickly, clearing the lines in defence is all-important.

Cahill has also blocked more shots than any Inter defender, at an average rate of 1.1 per game.

Inter's best is Walter Samuel, who's stopped the opposition at a much below average rate of 0.6 blocked shots per match. And it gets worse, as the next best after that is Lucio with just 0.3 per game.

Another weakness in the Inter Milan defence is their lack of aerial strength in their own penalty area.

The side's aerial duel success rate inside their own final third is 43.2 percent.

Cahill could well be the answer to this problem with his aerial duel success rate of 65 percent, which is better than every Inter Milan defender barring Cristian Chivu.

The former Aston Villa man is a player clearly well-suited to catenaccio football and the demands of Serie A, one of the most defensively-tight leagues in Europe.

A defender great at coping with counter-attacks, strong in the air, and with accurate long range passing stats to match the Inter defence proving his ability to start counter-attacks from the back, Cahill looks like a player who could thrive in Italy.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were all keen on Cahill in the summer, while Arsenal and Juventus have retained their interest in the star.

But if Inter Milan want to sort out their defensive crisis, they need to pip their rivals and sign the burgeoning 25-year-old.